NorthIowaToday.com

Founded in 2010

News & Entertainment for Mason City, Clear Lake & the Entire North Iowa Region

Worth Development Board questioned over use of casino dollars

by Matt Marquardt –

Melanne Bang, WCDA spokeswoman (far right), stands by before Tuesday’s meeting.

NORTHWOOD – Worth County Demands Action, a group of concerned citizens who are scrutinizing how dollars are spent that flow from the Diamond Jo Casino into the Worth county community through the Worth County Development Authority and the Worth County Supervisors, appeared before the Worth County Development Authority Board on Tuesday with statements and questions for the board.

Melanne Bang, of Fertile, was the lead speaker who addressed the board.  Her questions revolved around what her group perceives to be: Conflicts of interest on the board and not adhering to their code of ethics; the hoarding of funds into special accounts for what her group calls “pet projects;” and neglect of the board in spending casino dollars on scholarships and infrastructure projects in towns throughout the county.

The WCDA Board is tasked with allocating Diamond Jo Casino revenues that go back to Worth County.  The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission is investigating the board at this time due to complaints from Worth county citizens.

Due to this investigation, the board would not answers many of Bang’s questions, but assured the group that there are no problems with conflicts of interest and no neglect of spending casino money on scholarships and other projects.

A school administrator from Lake Mills, Daryl Sherman, was in attendance at the meeting to show the board a project for his school system, seeking funding.

After the meeting, the word on the sidewalk was that the board ignored a Worth County group’s request for funding to help refurbish a building in Northwood.  It was also mentioned that funding for a drinking water project in Grafton was never acted upon by the board.  It was further said that the board is “hoarding” dollars to build more infrastructure near the Diamond Jo Casino to lure more development and shopping to the area, at the expense of towns like Grafton.

The board claimed that almost every year, they are giving more and more dollars to educational scholarships for Worth County children.

 

Shayne Hoch, Interim Northwood Police Chief, stands by at Tuesday’s meeting.

Watch video:

httpv://youtu.be/NNDlZbSLGK8

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

3 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Even more news:

Watercooler
Copyright 2024 – Internet Marketing Pros. of Iowa, Inc.
3
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x